ABOUT US

Doing things differently is our thing.


We're a meat brand built around a shared commitment and passion for doing things the way nature intended, delivering healthy and sustainable food that tastes delicious, every time.

OUR STORY

Pre Means Taking Beef Back to a Simpler Time...

...Before factory scale ranches and feedlots, added hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified feed became commonplace in raising cattle. At Pre Brands, we believe that trusting in the goodness nature brings to the table is anything but old fashioned. Juicy, tender, flavorful beef that's lean, thoughtfully packaged, and raised as nature intended.

OUR MISSION

To Nourish and Inspire Trust

Our mission is to delivery healthy, protein-packed products that are delicious and sourced from farms where animals are raised as nature intended.

SIZZLING REVIEWS


BEHIND THE BEEF


Meet the Beef Geeks

We have one ingredient: full-flavored, 100% grass fed & finished beef. No added hormones, no sub-therapeutic antibiotics and we’re Non-GMO Project Verified (because GMOs are just weird). We believe animals should be treated with respect and be able to roam freely on grasses year-round. Our dedication to the highest quality beef never wavers, because we have the same high standards as you do.

Kevin Ponticelli

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Read Bio

Our CEO, Kevin Ponticelli, brings more than 30 years of terrific experience from senior leadership positions in food and beverage, working across sales, marketing, and general management, and we’re thankful we have such a proficient leader on-board! His roles have included: COO and President of Mizkan American Inc., CEO for Discovery Foods, President of both Kraft’s North American Cheese business and Kraft’s Pizza Division, and Senior Executive VP for Dairy Management Inc . In fact while at Kraft, Kevin led development, test marketing and expansion of DiGiorno rising crust pizza, and helped to create the ‘It’s Not Delivery, It’s DiGiorno’ ad campaign that launched the business nationally. He’s also a member of the Wayne State University Athletic Hall of Fame, and enjoys all sports. His favorite food is a big, delicious cheeseburger. Which means our ground beef is his go-to for hand pressed patties grilled medium rare over a charcoal fire, with a melted slice of American cheese on a toasted bun (with all the fixings)….accompanied by an ice cold beer. It’s his perfect, nostalgic meal that brings back great memories of hot summer cookouts and family picnics.

Nicole Schumacher

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Read Bio

Nicole is our savvy and tenacious CMO. She is not just at Pre for the chuck roast (which she uses in a killer French onion soup), she’s here because she is passionate about the importance of real food and Pre’s mission to deliver real, grass fed and finished beef to carnivores all over the country. She knows how to get things done, create great experiences (even on a short deadline), plan, strategize, and rock & roll. You will probably never see Nicole at her desk for more than an hour, because she is always in motion, working with our partners, team members, and customers. She comes to Pre with 20 years of experience in start-up businesses like Boca, Forkless Gourmet, and Natural Fitness from ground zero. So it’s not her first rodeo when it comes to start-ups and small businesses. In her off-time from being our fierce boss lady you can find her spending time with her family and probably enjoying some Swedish fish too.

Bob Davenport

CHIEF SALES OFFICER

Read Bio

Bob is our essential and incredible CSO who is passionate about creating and promoting more sustainable animal protein products! He helps us get the word out about Pre by introducing our brand to partners so we can grow and support different regions. His commitment to quality and integrity are the kinds of things that really make us happy to have Bob on our team. He brings with him years of experience in meat and CPG brands! When Bob is not out working with new customers or taste-testing our New York Strip, you can probably find him spending time with his wife and 4 kids. All of his kids are very active in college so Bob has plenty of their activities to attend! He also loves traveling with his wife on exciting trips, and taking long walks with his two furry kids, Ellie and Polly.

Joe Welenhofer

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Read Bio

Joe is our VP of Operations and he has been with Pre® since Day 0. When it comes to making sure our product arrives safely and within the right time frame for “wow, that’s tender,” Joe has the schedule memorized and is monitoring it to the minute and temperature (and he is probably 2 months ahead of you on it too). He’s a certified meat cutter, cheeseburger enthusiast and overall incredibly intelligent beef geek, because Joe solves any problem and can even find problems before they need to be solved. With experience at companies like Tyson, Hillshire, and the Chicago Meat Authority, Joe is our champion at optimizing our production process and acquiring our raw materials (also our table tennis champion). Outside of Pre, Joe enjoys a good bike ride or taking his crazy dog, Lula, for a walk. He is also a pretty good chef (no Michelin stars, but good, in our opinion) at cooking up challenging and delicious meals.

Dave Tuttle

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Read Bio

Dave Tuttle, our CFO, has over 30 years of financial experience. Early in his career he worked with Kraft Foods US, Canadian, and South American businesses. Since then he has held leadership roles in large technology companies such as Infor (ERP), midsize companies such as Torex (POS) and bSwift (Employee benefits), and several PE backed companies.

 

Dave's commitment, dedication, strategic counsel and calm, steady presence are instrumental in realizing the brand's immense growth potential.

 

Beyond his financial acumen, Dave is known for his love of the NY Strip, and his passion for producing top-quality products is matched only by his enjoyment of collaborating with a dynamic and fun team.

 

Outside the boardroom, Dave's ideal weekend involves boating and fishing on Lake Michigan, and sharing time with family and friends. A Sunday bike ride and catching some exciting football games complete his perfect weekend agenda.


Chantz Rodriguez

LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER

Read Bio

Chantz is our Supply Chain Analyst, he makes sure we are operating smart and making good calls for production, logistics, and warehousing. He’s extremely helpful on our Operations team with loads of experience in logistics. His favorite Pre cut is the ribeye, reverse seared. He has a passion for eating and cooking food, as well as drinking craft beer. If you want to find Chantz on the weekend, check out some of the new restaurants around town —he’ll probably be at one of them, exploring every inch of Chicago for new and exciting dinner plans.

Paula Demuria

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Read Bio

Paula is our bright and bold Senior Director of Business Development. She has a track record of...well, being the best… and we like that about her. We are happy she is here because she has loads of experience with different food brands, small to large, and she has helped each one grow strong and fast. When Paula is not at Pre, you can probably find her at the beach with friends and family. Paula is a great cook and loves making her families’ old Italian recipes—we love it when she does that too. But if you were to cook Paula a cut of Pre, she would request a filet mignon, black and blue, followed by a chocolate dessert, any form—any size, wrapped around any other sweets!

Jennifer Borchardt

SENIOR MANAGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS / FIELD MARKETING 

Read Bio

Jen is our Market Manager. Have you ever gone to pick up Pre at the grocery store and there is a woman straightening the shelves and conversing with the meat managers in Pre attire? That is probably Jen, making sure our stores are top notch for carnivore consumption. Jen is always working towards the future, whether that means introducing Pre to new retailers, figuring out ways to support our customers through store events, or watering our herb garden at the Pre office so her fellow employees can have fresh basil all year round—Jen is always someone you can count on. She believes in Pre and it shows through her positive attitude, enthusiastic energy and teamwork.



Liz Holt

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS

Read Bio

"My favorite cut is the filet. Perfect size, super tender, less fat but tons of flavor. Pre fuels my desire to change the beef industry from the inside out. My guilty pleasure is baking delicious desserts. On the weekend, you’ll find me painting, dog cuddling, at game nights with friends and having really good dinners, of course."

Jon Bykerk

CONTROLLER

Read Bio

Jon is the Controller at Pre. He usually gets to the office first in the morning on his bicycle and can hold his own during our table tennis matches. He’s got a great plaid shirt for every camping trip and our chuck roast is his go-to, barbacoa-style specifically. Jon brings over 12 years of experience in finance to Pre and is a passionate foodie (so we always make sure he is available during our recipe testing). In his spare time, Jon prefers to be outdoors. We are pretty sure if we had a rooftop Jon might up be there all day.

David Vlcek

SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER

Read Bio

David is the Operations Manager at Pre. When it comes to making sure things move smoothly at our plant and our product arrives safely within the right time frame for “wow, that’s tender,” David has the schedule memorized and is monitoring it to the minute and temperature (and he is probably 2 months ahead of you on it too). We’re so happy to have David on-board, he is a food science professional and has years of experience in food, new product development, quality control and food safety, with hands on experience in new product creation, testing, production methodology and OSHA, USDA & GMP regulations! Pre fuels his desire to learn, develop and grow within the food industry. When David is not solving problems at Pre or finding them before they need to be solved, he is most likely found participating in a BBQ competition (no Michelin stars, but he has won quite a few awards in rib categories). He says there is nothing better than seeing a person’s reaction to eating something he has spent hours making. Bringing the family together for a smoked beef brisket with all the fixin’s makes him the happiest…that… and a cold beer + a Pre® Filet Mignon w/parmesan crust and a twice baked potato. When he isn’t barbecuing, he loves to play golf, hockey, and guitar.



James Hukill

ACCOUNTANT

Read Bio

James is our Accountant, aka Money Crunching Extraordinaire. We are excited James is here because he is a team-player fueled with ambition and positivity to help Pre succeed. If you forgot your receipts, you (might) be able to make up for it by giving James a sushi roll (salmon sashimi/nigiri please). His favorite Pre cut is the juicy Ribeye, because it seriously tastes good. James enjoys quality time with friends and his awesome family of 5! You can find him hitting some forest preserves and going off trail, exploring wildlife, biking, gardening, and staying involved in church. James loves dry comedy and talking or not talking (you’re cool in his book if you get that)!



Daniel Ho

QUALITY MANAGER

Read Bio

Daniel is our Quality Manager. That means he’s really into good food, and we appreciate that. Daniel is a food science perfectionist, he is constantly conducting food quality experiments, testing new products (and we don’t mean JUST taste testing), & overseeing and improving our production process. His goal is to deliver a high quality product with even higher quality taste. He is committed to improving his approach to food safety and quality and continues to learn even more about the food industry every single day. He has loads of experience in Quality at places like The Spice House and Legendary Baking. On any given weekend you might find him kayaking, hiking, playing volleyball, taking in a new restaurant or just eating in bed (hey, we all do it). His favorite Pre cut is the ‘bold and brave’ ribeye—he likes to sous vide and then sear it for that perfect cook, every time.



Jessi Adrignola

ART DIRECTOR

Read Bio

Jessi is our Art Director who has lots of passion and enthusiasm for creating a great design, image, package, advertisement, the list goes on… Whatever she is working on, we know she is putting her heart into it, and most likely while drinking way too much black coffee. She helps us create and plan meaningful content and she has loads of experience from design agencies, start-ups, and freelance work. Her favorite cuts of Pre are the filet mignon, the NY strip, and 92% ground beef (for her nachos). When she isn’t creating at Pre, she is probably collaborating on art projects, seeing stand-up or live music, dancing, painting, learning, or having great food & drinks with great company.

Shaun Hildner

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
& CONTENT CREATOR

Read Bio

Shaun is our Social Media Manager, he infuses his creativity into every project, and he's the expert behind our social media platforms, weaving captivating content strategies together with engaging videos.

 

He has 14 years of media and storytelling experience in conceiving, producing, and hosting various media forms, he has carved a niche for himself as a dynamic and forward-thinking Media Producer. His expertise extends from podcasts to videos and animations. He has played a pivotal role in building brand awareness for renowned podcasts like The Distance and Re-Work at 37-Signals.

 

But beyond the professional realm, Shaun's heart lies in the delightful simplicity of a McDonald's Big Mac, a guilty pleasure he unabashedly adores. To him, it's not just a sandwich; it's a masterpiece of flavors and a testament to culinary ingenuity. Besides his love for the Big Mac, Shaun enjoys the art of smoking meats and grilling (especially at BBQ competitions), and his favorite Pre product is the Chuck Roast.

 

Outside of making great content at Pre, you'll find Shaun immersed in Dungeons & Dragons, cooking new recipes, and orchestrating epic backyard barbecues.

BEEF EDUCATION


Beef Geekery at its Core

We take our geekery seriously over here, and part of that responsibility is being transparent and sharing our knowledge so that when it comes to what you are eating, you can make the best decisions for your body and your goals.